


A Ball

by LittleSweetCheeks



Series: While We Sleep [6]
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Moving On, Support, dream - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-23
Updated: 2018-02-23
Packaged: 2019-03-23 02:17:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13777587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleSweetCheeks/pseuds/LittleSweetCheeks
Summary: There was always one person who would give him sound advice.





	A Ball

**Author's Note:**

> I finished doing dreams with each of the team after Hotch's departure and was prodded to do a section of Hotch dreaming of each of them.

“Go, Jack! Go, go go!” Aaron ran along the sideline, cheering his son on as loud as he could while Jack raced for a touchdown. He’d been surprised when Jack had come home at the beginning of his freshman year and announced that he wanted to try out for the football team, he’d never showed any interest before. But it had quickly become obvious that he had some talent. He’d probably never make it to the pros, but he had tons of fun and had made a bunch of new friends.

Panting, Aaron watched from his spot as the rest of the team cheered at Jack’s success and then moved on to continue the game. He’d worried that in his retirement, Aaron would get out of shape, but keeping up with his son was a serious workout.

When the game ended, Aaron made his way back to his vehicle alone. Jack would be home later after the team finished celebrating their win. He went sometimes, but it could feel awkward for him. There were often plenty of moms present, but there seemed to be less dads that he’d expected. He’d asked Jack about it and had learned that many of the boys on his team came from single parent households. Letting himself into the house, he wondered if there wasn’t something he could do to maybe help the boys who didn’t have father figures.

Collecting a glass of tea and a book, Aaron settled into the hammock out back to relax.

==

Aaron walked the length of the football field slowly. The paint was still worn away in places from the last game, it would need resprayed soon. There was the ever-present bald spot in the middle of the field where grass only seemed willing to grow in the off season. It was like the green blades knew it wasn’t even worth the bother during the season.

Spotting someone on the other side, Aaron changed course and cut across the grass. “Hey.” He called out. “Looking for someone?”

He could see as the person shrugged before calling back. “Yeah. You.”

“Me?” That surprised him. He figured it was a parent looking for one of the boys. They met in the middle and Aaron was floored to see who it was. “Morgan. What are you doing here?”

Morgan smiled and ducked his head, laughing softly like he always did. “I’m here to see you, Man. Wanna toss a ball?” He waved his hand.

Aaron hadn’t noticed the football before and wondered how he’d missed it. “I’m not all that great, but…sure.” He turned and moved down ten yards. “It’s good to see you, I just wasn’t expecting it.”

“Yeah, well, isn’t that a friend’s job? Keeping you on your toes?” He tossed the ball, grinning when the other man fumbled and nearly missed catching it.

“I guess… Are we friends?”

“Uh, yes. We’ve known each other how long?” He had to run a bit and jump to catch Aaron’s wide throw. “What has you out here on the field? Clearly it’s not your sport, Hotch.”

“Jack started playing last year.”

“Yeah? He any good?”

“He’s not half bad. Popular, gets to play, not just warm the bench.”

“That’s good.”

“He’s having a blast. A lot of his teammates are being raised by single mothers.”

“That happens.”

“I know.” He caught the ball and tossed it back. “But the boys… I remember high school. Puberty, girls, all that stuff. My dad wasn’t the kind I could go to, so I just muddled through. I had no idea what was normal or not and it never seemed like the other boys were experiencing what I was…”

“So you tried to hide yourself away.”

“Yeah. I guess I did.”

Derek didn’t toss the ball again, instead holding it close to his chest. “You were shy, I get that. You always were about the second most introverted member of our family.” It looked like he was going to say something more but thought better of it. “So, what about the boys being raised by single mothers?”

“You were. In your teenage years anyway.”

Morgan’s gaze darkened, they both knew, and it didn’t need to be said. “I was.”

“I wonder if I couldn’t do something, provide that positive father figure role. You know?” He caught the ball when it was tossed back.

Derek nodded. “I could see you doing that. As a mentor of sorts.”

“You think it’s a good idea?”

“Of course, Hotch. You’re a natural at that sort of thing. Look at how you’ve raised Jack. Look at all the kids and people you followed up on after cases, providing that support after they lost fathers.”

“How do you know about that?”

Morgan just shook his head. “Look. You know this is a good idea. You could maybe even set up something in the community, vet the men and make rules for how they spend time. Give the boys positive fathers or grandfathers to do the simple things like show up at games.”

“But wouldn’t that be just like Big Brothers?”

“Make it better. Make it different. You made a whole career of thinking outside the box and guiding people to do things. Use that.”

Aaron thought about that for a few minutes. “I could really use your advice about what boys really need. They have a parent.”

“But dads are different, you know that. How many men and women did we handle that lacked a dependable father figure, one that carried on into adulthood.”

He nodded at that. “But they’re a tiny percentage of people who grow up with only one parent. Or bad parents. Look at you… And me. Our teenage years were hell. And Reid…he didn’t even have peers and he turned out fine.”

“So, show them that there is hope on the other side of that hell. And Pretty Boy struggled but I think the dad he found for himself helped him get everything on track. He found that guidance and used it.”

Aaron was confused. “He found his own dad? I don’t understand.”

Morgan sighed, dropping the ball to the ground and rubbing his hands over his face and then his head. “Of course you don’t. He picked you. He turned to you, learned from you, emulated you at the most frustrating times.”

“He did?”

Derek shook his head. “Trust me, this is a good idea you have, you’ll do great things. You already have. And if you do need my help, just call, it’s not like I’m running around chasing unsubs anymore.”

“Yeah, I know.”

Morgan scooped the ball back up and peered up at the sky. “Well, I need to be getting back. Take care of yourself, Aaron.”

His first name sounded weird coming from Morgan and he started somewhat. “Yeah, you too.”

==

Aaron woke to Jack flopping down on the ground beside the hammock. “Hey, you’re home.”

“Yeah, that game was nuts. I’m beat.”

“You did good. Hey, I was thinking.” Aaron sat up, placing his feet on the ground. “Would you think it was weird if I set up something, a business, to help out the boys who don’t have dads around?”

“Like mentoring?”

“Kind of. So they got dads who came to games and things.”

Jack shrugged. “I guess not. Are you planning on doing that?”

“Maybe. I need to make a few calls to get an idea of what I should include.”

“Okay, well, it sounds okay to me.” Jack stood back up. “I’m going to cook something, you hungry?”

“No, you go ahead.” He watched Jack head in before pulling out his phone and dialing.

“This is Derek.” The younger man answered.

“Hey, it’s me, Aar…uh…Hotch. I know it’s been a while, but would you have some time to talk over an idea I have. I figured your experiences might help me decide some things.”

“Sure. Experiences with what?”

“Your childhood.”


End file.
